Flashlight



Feb. 3, 1942. slv 1 YENwYEN sl LIANG) FLASHLIGHT Filed July 5, 1959 IN VEN TOR.

ATTORNEYS.

BY M.

Patented Feb. 3, 1942 para rara

HCE

2 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in ash-lights and is designed more especially as a means whereby a reserve supply of lamp bulbs can be carried within the casing of the flash-light where they will be protected against injury but be accessible readily at all times should it be desired to substitute a fresh bulb for the one in use.

While various means have been provided for this purpose, they have been rather complicated in construction and difficult to manufacture. An

object of the present invention is to simplify the bulb-holding means so that they can be produced at low cost and of few parts.

With the foregoing and other objects in lView which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims, it being understood that changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

In the accompanying drawing the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawing:

Figure 1 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in section of one, end portion of a flashlight casing and showing the location of the bulb holders.

Figure 2 is a section on line 2 2, Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged elevation of a portion of the bulb holder.

Figure 4 is a sectie-n on line 4 4, Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a section on line 5 5, Figure 3.

Referring to the gures by characters of ref erence, I designates a portion of the casing of the flash-light one end of which is closed by a screw cap 2 carrying a lens 3 while supported within this cap and back of the lens is a frustoconical reflector 4 the inner or small end of which is adapted to extend around or in close proximity to a bulb B of the usual type mounted in the usual way in a socket member not shown.

The present invention includes a disk 5 provided with a peripheral flange 6 which is screwthreaded asat 'I so as to be detachably seated within the screw-threadedvportion 8 of the casing I. At the center of this disk there is an opening 9 sufciently large t0 receive the bulb being used and, in order to shield the bulb a sleeve I5,'which is made integral with disk 5, is located around the opening 9 and is preferably provided with a lining ring II of insulating material.

(Cl. 24U-16.66)

Sleeve It is ared away from disk 5 so that its outer or free end will lap a portion of disk 5.

At regular intervals :opposed pairs of openings I2 are formed in disk 5 and the metal removed in the formation of these openings forms ears I3 arranged in pairs.

Fitted against disk 5l between the ears of each pair is a plate I4 one end of which is shaped to t snugly against a circular rib I5 pressed from disk 5 and concentric with sleeve .I0. For the purpose of increasing the length of the rib-engaging edge of plate I4 it is preferred to provide the plate with oppositely projecting extensions or lugs I6 which likewise are adapted to fit snugly against rib I5. 'I'hese lugs also bear against the adjacent edges of the ears I3.`

That end of each plate I4 remote from rib I5 is formed with a resilient tongue I'I the free end portion of which is preferably offset so as to converge toward the free end portion of sleeve ID, there being a. lip I8 extended from the end portion I'I to constitute a deector.

Plate I4 is of a width equal to the distance between the ears I3 where they are joined to the disk 5 and after the plate hasbeen placed against the disk between the ears, said ears are bent toward each other so as to t tightly upon the plate and hold itfclamped to the disk. With the plate thus engaged the lugs I6 bearing against the ears at one side and the tongue I 'I bearing against the ears at the opposite side, serve to hold the plate against longitudinal movement in either direction and maintain the tongue II normally in a predetermined position relative to the sleeve Ill.

The distance between each tongue I'I and the sleeve Ill is such as to permit the reception therebetween of the plug portion P of a bulb R held in reserve. However in order to receive this plug portion it is necessary to shift the tongue I'I slightly away from sleeve lil and after the bulb has been properly seated in the area defined by ilange 6 and sleeve I D, the released tongue I'I will bind against the plug portion of the bulb and force it rmly against the adjacent portion of the sleeve I0. It will be noted that this sleeve has a groove I 9 pressed into it and extending therearound. This groove provides a seat for the adjacent portion of thebulb and, in cooperation with the opposed tongue Il, serves to hold the bulb firmly in position so that it cannot become accidentally dislodged.

In flash-lights of the usual size at least three of these holders for reserve bulbs can be provided, as shown for example in Figure 2, there being su'icient space between the holding portions to allow the bulbs to be supported out of contact with each other.

When the cap 2 is in position on the casing I it serves fully to protect the bulbs from injury. When it is desired to replace the used bulb with a new one, it becomes necessary merely to unscrew the cap 2 from casing I. This exposes the bulb holder and any one of the bulbs can be pulled therefrom against the restraining action of tongue l1 and its offset portion after which the used bulb can be removed and the replacement put in the usual socket provided therefor.

What is claimed is:

1. A flash-light including a casing, a disk seated in one end thereof, a bulb-holding and shielding sleeve extending from the center of the disk, opposed ears on the disk and arranged in pairs, a plate gripped and held by the ears of each pair, said plate being radially disposed relative to the sleeve, cooperating means on the disk and plate for holding the plate against lateral swinging movement relative to the ears engaging the plate, and a resilient tongue at one end of each plate cooperating with the sleeve to grip a bulb when interposed between the sleeve and tongue,

said cooperating means on the disk and plate, in conjunction with the ears, providing means for holding the plate and the tongue thereon against movement away from the sleeve, a lensholding sleeve detachably connected to the casing, and a refiector within and cooperating with the sleeve to provide an annular space proportioned to receive bulbs engaged by the respective tongues.

2. A ash-light including a casing, a disk removably mounted therein, a lens-holding cap, and a reflector, said cap and reflector cooperating to provide an annular space within the cap, of a combined bulb-receiver and shield comprising a sleeve extending from the disk and centrally of the annular space, ears disposed in pairs about the sleeve and on the disk, radially disposed plates engaged by the ears of each pair, means on each plate and cooperating with the ears for holding the plates against movement radially away from the sleeve, and spring tongues at the outer ends of the plates, each tongue cooperating with the sleeve to grip and hold a spare lamp contained within the annular space.

SI L. YEN (YEN SI LIANG) 

